Low paid hit by Labour

9.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th May 2008

Last year Gordon Brown, then the Chancellor of the Exchequer, abolished the 10p in the pound tax rate and cut the 22p tax rate to 20p. These changes came into effect this April, hitting the lowest paid hardest - particularly the young and those with no children. After a back bench revolt labour has promised compensation to those worse hit - but do you trust them? Now, Labour is planning to hit the low paid again, with massive increases in road tax for older cars! With ever increasing fuel costs and food bills, the Liberal Democrats are shocked that those on low incomes will continue to be the hardest hit under Labour.

Samina Safdar, Forest Ward Focus member says : These income and tax changes represent a tax cut for the wealthy, but an increase in tax for the low paid. Lib Dem MPs protested on the day they were announced in 2007. It has taken Labour MPs more than a year to wake up to the effects of the 10p tax change and complain about it! "Could it be that they were worried about the steady drop in support for Labour in the run up to the May elections."